Muddling Through (TV Series)
''Muddling Through'' is an American television sitcom that aired on CBS from July 9, 1994, to September 7, 1994. The series starred Stephanie Hodge as an ex-convict trying to turn her life around, but is now perhaps better remembered for being the series which Jennifer Aniston (playing the daughter of Hodge's character) completed just before her star-making role on ''Friends'' began. ''Friends'' debuted just two weeks after ''Muddling Through'' aired its final episode, with one episode remaining left unaired. According to NBC program executive Preston Beckman ("The Masked Scheduler"), Aniston was in second slot but the first choice to play Rachel Green in ''Friends''. Warren Littlefield, then NBC entertainment chief, ordered the show to be ‘killed’ so that Aniston would be freed up to take on the role of Rachel, leading to NBC to schedule strong programming against it to hurt its ratings. Plot Connie Drego is an ex-con, paroled after serving three years in prison for shootin ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Sitcom
A sitcom, a portmanteau of situation comedy, or situational comedy, is a genre of comedy centered on a fixed set of characters who mostly carry over from episode to episode. Sitcoms can be contrasted with sketch comedy, where a troupe may use new characters in each sketch, and stand-up comedy, where a comedian tells jokes and stories to an audience. Sitcoms originated in radio, but today are found mostly on television as one of its dominant narrative forms. A situation comedy television program may be recorded in front of a studio audience, depending on the program's production format. The effect of a live studio audience can be imitated or enhanced by the use of a laugh track. Critics disagree over the utility of the term "sitcom" in classifying shows that have come into existence since the turn of the century. Many contemporary American sitcoms use the single-camera setup and do not feature a laugh track, thus often resembling the dramedy shows of the 1980s and 1990s rather t ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Linda Hart
Linda Hart (born July 5, 1950) is an American singer, musician, and actress, mainly appearing in musical theatre. Life and career Hart was born in Dallas, Texas, United States. As a child, Hart sang in her church choir; at age seven, she joined her father, the late Rev. Ralph L. Hart, (a preacher) and the rest of the family in ''The Harts'', a weekly gospel television series. Her father and uncle, the Rev. Doyle Hart, visited Detroit in 1954 and cut a 45 of "Ain't No Grave Gonna Hold My Body Down", later released by Ralph Hart and The Texas Musical Harts. Hart attended Los Angeles City College as a theatre major. During college, however, her family received a recording contract with Columbia Records; Hart joined them and moved to Nashville for the job. The group recorded several gospel albums, many nominated for Grammy Awards and one a winner. Solo work included appearances with ''The New Christy Minstrels'' as their only female leader, a stint on Johnny Cash's ABC television s ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Philip Charles MacKenzie
Philip Charles MacKenzie (born Philip Charles Harris on May 7, 1946) is an American actor and television director. He is best known for his role as Donald Maltby on ''Brothers'', and as Ted Nichols on '' Open House'', which he worked on with his current wife, Alison La Placa. Career MacKenzie was born in Brooklyn, New York. He made his on-screen debut in Sidney Lumet's 1975 crime drama ''Dog Day Afternoon''. He then began doing numerous television guest roles and co-starring roles in afterschool specials and made-for-TV movies. MacKenzie guest starred on such shows as ''Three's Company'', '' Baa Baa Black Sheep'', ''Lou Grant'' (which co-starred his future ''Brothers'' castmate, Robert Walden), ''The Love Boat'', ''The Jeffersons'', ''Diff'rent Strokes, The Facts of Life'', and ''WKRP in Cincinnati''. In 1980, he appeared as Dr. LaFleur in ''The Heartbreak Winner'', an ''ABC Afterschool Special'' episode. That same year, MacKenzie was cast in the pilot of a series proposed for ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Robert Borden (TV Producer)
Robert Borden is an American TV writer, and Television producer. He is known as executive producer and writer of ''George Lopez'' and as a writer for the ''Late Show with David Letterman''. Borden started his television career as Assistant Director of ''Bridge'' in 1988. He wrote for ''Roseanne'' from 1992 to 1993. During 2006 to 2009 he has written for ''The Late Show with David Letterman'' and this work was nominated for 3 Primetime Emmys. From 2002 to 2007 Borden co-produced ''George Lopez''. Filmography TV Producer * '' Outsourced'' (executive producer - 2010-2011) * ''George Lopez'' (executive producer - 2002-2007) * ''The Drew Carey Show'' (producer - 1995-1996) * ''The Brian Benben Show ''The Brian Benben Show'' is an American sitcom television series that aired on CBS on Mondays from September 21, 1998 to October 12, 1998. Premise The show centered on Brian Benben, an anchor on KYLA-TV news in Los Angeles, who was replaced in ...'' (executive producer - 1998-2000) ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Lee Aronsohn
Lee Aronsohn (born December 15, 1952) is an American television writer, composer and producer. He is the co-creator of the successful TV Show ''Two and a Half Men''. He has written for many sitcoms, such as ''The Love Boat'', '' Who's the Boss?'', '' Murphy Brown'', ''Grace Under Fire'', ''The Big Bang Theory'', and ''Cybill''. Career In 1975 he founded the comic book store "Trade-A-Tape Comic Center" in Lincoln, Nebraska, which he ran for two years. The store is still in operation over 40 years later, under its fourth owner. In 1997, he co-created the sitcom starring Rick Reynolds and Pam Dawber, '' Life... and Stuff''. In 2003, he co-created the sitcom ''Two and a Half Men'' and wrote the original music for the series as well. Besides writing scripts, Aronsohn has also worked as executive producer and directs one show per season. He is also executive producer and writer for ''The Big Bang Theory''. In 2018, he released his first feature-length documentary, '' 40 Years in ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Pamela Fryman
Pamela Gail Fryman (born 1959) is an American sitcom director and producer. She directed all but twelve episodes of the television series ''How I Met Your Mother''. Early life Fryman was born and grew up in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Career Fryman got her first job on ''The John Davidson Show'' as an assistant to the talent coordinator, and went on to be a booth production assistant and secretary on '' Santa Barbara'', eventually moving up to assistant director (AD), and director. In 1993, producer Peter Noah, with whom she had worked on the game show '' Dream House'', gave Fryman a chance to direct an episode of the short-lived sitcom ''Café Americain''. These would be the first stepping stones toward a long and successful career. Before her directing career blossomed, Fryman pursued stage directing. On the set of ''Frasier'', rehearsal resembled a play staging, which is exactly what creator and executive producer David Lee had in mind when he hired her. Fryman directed 34 ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Larry Spencer
Larry Spencer (December 21, 1941—March 14, 2022) is a Baptist pastor in Canada, and former Member of Parliament (MP) for the Saskatchewan riding of Regina—Lumsden—Lake Centre. He later served as interim national president of the Christian Heritage Party of Canada. Biography Spencer was born in Stockton, Missouri, United States, in 1942. He worked in Kansas City, Missouri, for Hallmark Cards after graduating from Sheldon High School. He left Hallmark after eight years, and in 1967 worked as a farm hand. He moved to Canada in 1974, after responding to a request to come to Saskatchewan as a church planner for the Regina, Saskatchewan, area. He establisheDiscovery Baptist Churchin Regina in 1978 and now assists at Calvary Baptist Church in Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan, where he now resides. He is married to Sue Brown, whom he met in high school. Member of Parliament He was first elected as candidate of Canadian Alliance in the 2000 federal election. He was appointed famil ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Andy Ackerman
Robert Andrew Ackerman (born September 19, 1956) is an American director, producer, and script editor who is best known for his work on '' Seinfeld'', ''The New Adventures of Old Christine'' and the HBO series '' Curb Your Enthusiasm''. He is a 1978 graduate of Santa Clara University. Born in Los Angeles, Ackerman began his career as a videotape editor on ''WKRP in Cincinnati'' (1979–82) and ''Newhart'', winning an Emmy for the former. He also was an assistant editor on ''Welcome Back, Kotter''.''Andy Ackerman Interview , Archive of American Television'' Retrieved June 16, 2022. Ackerman directed '' Seinfeld'' starting in its sixth season. He directed 89 ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Daniel Palladino
Daniel Palladino is an American television executive producer, screenwriter, and director. He is best known for his work on the television series ''The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel'' (2017–present), which earned him a Writers Guild of America Awards, WGA Award, two Producers Guild of America Award, PGA Awards, and four Primetime Emmy Awards. Career Palladino began working in series television in 1989, spending three years on the American Broadcasting Company, ABC program ''Who's the Boss?'' starring Tony Danza, Judith Light and Alyssa Milano. Along with stints as a producer of the David L. Keith, David Keith series ''Flesh 'n' Blood (TV series), Flesh 'n' Blood'' and as a writer for an episode of ''Cheers'', Palladino wrote a half-dozen episodes of ''The Upper Hand (TV series), The Upper Hand'', the British version of ''Who's the Boss?, Who's The Boss?''. Palladino spent two years in the mid-1990s on ''Roseanne'', serving as a writer, co-executive producer, then executive producer. ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Robby Benson
Robby Benson (born Robin David Segal; January 21, 1956) is an American actor and director. He rose to prominence as a teen idol in the late 1970s, appearing in the sports films '' One on One'' (1977) and ''Ice Castles'' (1978). He subsequently garnered more fame for portraying the voice of Beast in the Disney animated film ''Beauty and the Beast'' (1991) and its numerous sequels and spin-offs. He later directed television, including six episodes of the sitcom ''Friends''. In addition to acting and directing, Benson is an activist in the field of heart research, having undergone four open-heart surgeries since age 28 to correct congenital aortic valve defects and related damage. In 2012, he published a memoir recounting his medical journey and numerous surgeries. Early life Benson was born in Dallas, Texas, the son of Freda Ann (''née'' Benson), a singer, actor, and business promotions manager, and Jerry Segal, a writer. His family is Jewish. When Benson was five years old, ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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James Widdoes
James Widdoes (born November 15, 1953, in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania), sometimes billed as Jamie Widdoes, is an American actor and director. Early life Widdoes graduated from The Loomis Chaffee School in Windsor, Connecticut, in 1972, and is a member of their Board of Trustees. He began his acting career during college, starring in a production of ''The New Amen Show'' at the Diners Playhouse in Lexington, Kentucky, in 1974. He next attended Skidmore College in 1972 and then transferred to New York University's Tisch School of Arts, graduating in 1976 with a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree. While in New York, he roomed with such soon-to-be famous actors as Michael O'Keefe from ''Caddyshack'' and ''The Great Santini.'' He then began performing on New York City stages in productions such as the 1977 Equity Library Theatre revival of ''Wonderful Town'' and the 1982 Broadway musical ''Is there life after high school?'' His role in this last production won him a Theatre World Award. Career ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Richard Venture
Richard Venture (born Richard Charles Venturella; November 12, 1923 – December 19, 2017) was an American actor. He performed in more than eighty films from 1964 to 2001. His television guest-credits include ''The Days and Nights of Molly Dodd'', '' Fame'', Street Hawk and ''Murder, She Wrote''. Venture died just 31 days prior to ex-wife actress Olivia Cole, in December 2017 at the age of 94. Venture was born in New York City. He debuted on Broadway in ''Dinosaur Wharf'' (1951). His other Broadway credits included ''The National Health'' (1974), ''Chemin de Fer'' (1973), ''The Visit'' (1973), ''Murderous Angels'' (1971), ''Solitaire / Double Solitaire'' (1971) ''Double Solitaire'' (1971), and ''The Merchant of Venice'' (1951). Venture wed actress Grayce Grant in 1946, and they divorced in 1971. They had four children. He was married to actress Olivia Cole from 1971 until their divorce in 1984. He and Lorraine Venture married in 1984 and divorced in 1995. He was married to Kath ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |